by The Learning Company
Platform:
Windows 98 / Me / 95
(12)Buy new: $42.50
8 used & new from $0.40
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With this unusual program, children hatch and take care of up to four virtual onscreen creatures called Norns. These creatures are quite sophisticated- they think for themselves, can learn by imitation, eat independently and sleep when tired. While the Norns are not as engaging as the animals in Catz and Dogz, kid-testers loved dressing the critters, feeding them and watching them grow. The graphics contain a mind-boggling number of colorful details with life-like fully animated environments to explore. The weather and seasons change, and as the game progresses, the wind blows, leaves fall, and in the winter, snowdrifts form. The Norns can be somewhat hard to control- they seem to move in one direction when kids want them to go in another. On the whole though, this is a rich and complex program that will keep kids engaged for hours. Before buying make sure that your computer more than meets minimum requirements- the program uses DirectX, needs 16 bit color display and uses 300 MB of hard disk space.
Teaches: taking care of others
Age Range: 6-up Copyright © 2000 Children's Software Revue
Creatures Adventures is populated by four breeds of Norns-- artificial creatures with their own DNA, brains, and biochemistry. They learn and think for themselves, but they need you to love them, care for them, and play with them. You can do it all in this fun-filled game that lets kids as young as six explore virtual life. Play, cook, and dress up in the Norn house. Slide down the tree slide. Plant and grow vegetables. Explore the castle and watch for dragons along the way. With no menus or keyboard commands to memorize, the interface is simple and easy-to-manipulate. All you need is a mouse.